Cody Gakpo has spoken of his happiness at being used in his preferred left-sided role under Arne Slot at Liverpool, saying he feels like “the old me” again.
For much of his time working alongside Jurgen Klopp, Gakpo was played in a central attacking berth, dropping deep and putting his intelligence to good use.
Liverpool didn’t consistently see the best of the Dutchman in that position, however, having generally thrived on the left wing at PSV Eindhoven and for the Netherlands.
Speaking to Men in Blazers, Gakpo said he is happy with how Slot is using him out wide, producing arguably his best form in a Reds shirt.
“Before I came to Liverpool I also played as a left winger. Then I came here and I started to play more as a central striker,” said Gakpo.
“At the Euros, I played as a left winger again. Then this season the new manager came in, I had a talk with him and he said, ‘you have to focus on the left winger position…this is your position when you come on or when you start’.
“Because he said there’s a lot of competition here, so you just have to show yourself. But he said, ‘that is going to be your position’.
“It felt a little bit, for me, like the old me, like what I did at PSV as well. I feel really good in this position. I try to show my best to everybody, what I’m capable of.
“I think I come into more one-v-ones now with my face towards the opponent, where I can really go inside and give a cross, shoot or go outside and give a cross – which is more my game, I would say, and where I think I can be really dangerous and help the team the most.”
A rare Klopp mistake?
It was hard to criticise much of what Klopp did as Liverpool manager, but his use of Gakpo never quite paid off.
The 25-year-old did adequately as a false nine, with his subtle class drawing comparisons with Roberto Firmino, but he looks like a different player this season.
Gakpo has six goals in all competitions, topping the Carabao Cup goalscoring charts with four strikes alongside ex-Reds youngster Tom Ince, who is now at Watford.
The Liverpool attacker’s ability to drift inside onto his hammer of a right foot is a potent weapon, as shown by lethal finishes against Brighton and Bayer Leverkusen in recent weeks.
Competition on the left flank is fierce, with Luis Diaz in arguably even better form than Gakpo, but it is clear that this is his best role moving forward.
The fact that Slot seems more hesitant to play him centrally than any of Liverpool’s attackers suggests he is in no doubt about his worth on the left.
Still only 25, Gakpo has all the ingredients to grow into an even more formidable player and his influence will be key to the Reds’ Premier League title hopes.
